This Body Is Political

Body Practices against the Authoritarian

In the face of a global rise in right-wing populism, questions around the body are once again coming to the forefront. Which bodies are accepted, protected, or excluded? Which are deemed functional—and what happens when they no longer fulfill that function? Who has the right to move freely? How do political systems stage themselves through and upon bodies, and what happens when bodies subvert or break through normative expectations?

THIS BODY IS POLITICAL is presented as part of the International DANCE Festival Munich, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut, LMU Munich, and the Department of Arts and Culture of the City of Munich. The event features performative and participatory elements such as workshops, movement practices, and panel discussions. Together with international artists and curators, it explores how social norms from state, medical, and economic systems shape bodies and stigmatize marginalized groups. Under authoritarian regimes, the visibility and modes of expression of bodies shift. Art—especially contemporary dance—often becomes a target of direct or indirect censorship, whether through funding cuts or total withdrawal of support. Yet bodies are also sites of resistance: anti-colonial, anti-authoritarian, and queer movements utilize physical practices to challenge normative power structures and make political resistance poetically visible.

Dance, in particular, can take on a combative role. Brazilian choreographers like Alice Ripoll, for example, demonstrate with their ensembles how movement expresses political and social struggle. By challenging hegemonic structures, artists make one thing clear: bodies are not passive objects of state control, but active agents of resistance.

THIS BODY IS POLITICAL is an invitation to collectively imagine and shape possibilities for a freer future.

Program:
10:00 Open Arrival
11:00 Welcome by Prof. Dr. Mariama Diagne (Dance Studies / LMU Munich), Caroline Brendel (Goethe-Institut), Kalas Liebfried (Lothringer 13) and Tobias Staab (International DANCE Festival München)
11:30 Movement Practice with dancers from Alice Ripoll (Choreographer, Brazil)
11:50 Dialogue: Ligia Lewis (Choreographer and Artist / USA) and Tina Post (University of Chicago / USA)
12:30 Coffee Break
13:00 Movement Practice: Davi Pontes, Wallace Ferreira (Artists, Choreographers, and Performers / Brazil)
13:30 Conversation: Alice Ripoll, Davi Pontes, Wallace Feireira, moderated by Atabey (Haus der Kulturen der Welt)
14:15 Food Break
15:15 Movement Practice with Black Pearl de Almeida Lima (Artist and Choreographer / Brazil)
15:45 Models & Inquiry – Shared Thoughts: Mariama Diagne, Atabey, Mateusz Szymanówka (Artistic Director, Tanztage Berlin), Black Pearl de Almeida Lima, Isabel Lewis (Artist, Incoming Artistic Director, Tanzquartier Wien)
16:45 Closing
17:00 End